Aeronautical device



May 25, 1937. J. P. BUCKLEY AERONAUTICAL DEVICE Filed July 10, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A tlomey,

May 25, 1937. J. P. BUCKLEY AERONAUTICAL DEVICE Filed July 10, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mOE mm on Q. 8 @N R m w NM Q PM m 0E 1 o I HIUHH H "u Th1 M L Xv Yul Tb Inventor pzfiwgc wb A tlorney May 25, 1937. J. P. BUCKLEY AERONAUTICAL DEVICE Filed July 10, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l T T mm. 1 No 3 mm mm 1 8 E I Q a 8 0m mm Inventor 5% 0006.41

Patented May 25, 1937 NlTED STATES Application July 10, 1929. Serial No. 877,156 13 Claims. (01. 177-352) This invention relates to aeronautical devices of the fog signaling type generally. More particularly this invention relates to apparatus for automatically determining fog and cloud bank heights and transmitting signals in accordance therewith.

An object of this invention is to provide automatic means for broadcasting a signal when the ceiling height of fog or visibility becomes too low for an aeroplane to safely land.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically determining the ceiling height at a predetermined location for indicating the upper surface of a fog bank existing at that location;

In accordance with this invention I provide a. system which may be used advantageously on high-precipices, such as, mountain tops, to determine when the upper surface of the fog bank has settled just above the mountain peak or below the peak. By using this system when flying through a dense fog towards a mountain or airport an aviator can readily determine whether or not a high ceiling prevails thereon or thereover.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the following specification, claims and drawings. Referring to the drawings briefly,

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the use of two intersecting light beams for determining the height of clouds or a fog bank;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of search light employed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 3 is a rear view of a' search light employed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 4 is of a photo-cell casing showing an automatic shutter arrangement;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a light sensitive cell and associated control circuits embodied in this invention;

Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, a. front elevation and side elevation of a modified form of the search light apparatus employed in accordance with this invention;

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the circuit controlling apparatus associated with the search light of Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 shows a schematic diagram of connec tions between the commutator disc, code wheel and solenoid, associated with the Searchlight apparatus of Fig. 6;

Fig. 11 is another modified form of the invention;

Fig. 12 is a top view of the searchlights of Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 shows the apparatus of this invention positioned on a mountain peak or precipice.

The numeral 1 designates a landing field for aeroplanes, dirlgibles and similar aircraft on which are positioned search light members 3. spaced apart and electrically connected by cable 2. The lamp 4, of each of the search light members, is positioned in the case 5 which supports the lens 6 and is pivotally supported by the stud l and, the standard 8.

The clamping bolt 9 is provided with a pointer III, which traverses the scale I I and indicates the angle of the search light beam. The photo-cell I2 is housed incasing l3, the upper portion of which is provided with a tubular member [4, through which light passes to the cell when the shutter I5 is opened. A pivoted armature i6 and solenoid H are provided to control the shutter l5. Lens I8 is positioned in the member M for focusing light reflected from the spot 49, appearing on the under surface of the fog bank 20. The spot 19 is formed on the underside of the cloud or fog bank 20 by the beams 21 and 22 transmitted from the search lights 3. The light sensitive cell I2, positioned in the housing I3, is located below the spot l9 as illustrated in Fig. 1. A bracket arm 23 is supported by the member It for pivotally supporting the shutter at point 24.

The loop antenna 25, is electrically connwted with the radio transmitter 26, and while I have shown a loop antenna in this particular instance for radiating the electrical energy, any other style of antenna, as illustrated in Fig. 5, may be used effectively as well.

Referring to Fig. 5, the circuit control apparatus 21, including the shaft 28, the gear 29 and worm 30 and the circuit interrupting discs 31, M and 42 are provided to control the operation of the signal transmitter 26 after the circuit between the contacts 60" and the relay armature 59 are closed. Adjacent to the gear 29 and fixed to the shaft is a cam 32, having a notch 33 for engagement with pin 34. The pin 34 of switch arm 35 engages the periphery of the cam and. serves to prevent the operator from opening the motor circuit 36, until a predetermined point of the cam is reached with respect to the other circuits controlled by the shaft movement. In this way, as is illustrated by the drawings, the circuit of the motor 3| may be interrupted only when the circuits controlled by the discs 31 and 42- are also interrupted.

The insulation disc 31 carries metallic segments -which are joined together by link wire 45.

38 and 39, which are electrically connected by Wire 48. The metallic key disc 42 fixed on the shaft 28, has two metallic segments 43 and 44 The brushes 46, 41, 48, 49, and 58, electrically contact with the discs associated therewith and the brush 5| forms a contact with the shaft to complete the circuit through the metal code disc 4|, the brushes 48. 49, and 58 and the segments 43 and 44 of the disc 42.

The brushes 46 and 41 are associated with the disc 31 to contact segments 38 and 39 and periodically interrupt the circuit 52 of the solenoid H which is connected to these brushes and the current supply 56 by the wires 53, 54, and 55.

The brush 48 contacts with the code letter disc 4| and serves to break the current from the transmitter 26 into signal letters. The keying disc 4| is connected through the shaft 28 and its associated brush 5| to the cathode circuit of the transmitter 26. Brushes 48 and 49 are connected together, as illustrated. Brushes 49 and 58 cooperate with the segments 43 and 44 of the disc 42 to complete the keying circuit of the transmitter 26 only while the brush 48 is on the coded portion of the disc 4|. Connections 58, 6| and 62 are provided between the relay armature 59, the radio transmitter 26, the relay contact 68" and the brushes 58 and 5|. These connections cooperate with the keying disc 4| and the segments 43 and 44 of disc 42, which are con-- nected together by the connection 45, to control the keying of the radio transmitter 26.

The circuit 63 of the search light 3 is automatically controlled by the metallic blade 65 of the shutter arm 64, which is of sufficient size to bridge over contacts 66 and 61 when drawn downward by the solenoid H. The lamps 3 are connected in series by the connection 69. Connection 68 is provided between one of the lamps 3 and contact 66 and connection 18 is provided between the other-lamp 3 and the current supply 1| which in turn is connected by wire 12 to the contact 61.

In operation the switch 35 is pulled outward and the circuit 36 of the motor 3| is closed. The motor thereupon rotates the shaft 28 together with the solenoid-circuit-interrupting disk 31, the transmitter coding disc 4| and the interrupting disc 42. The shutter l5, which controls the light to the sensitive cell I2, is thus periodically raised and lowered through the periodic energization of the solenoid l1 and the lamps 3 are also periodically energized through the operation of the switch blade 65, If a reflecting medium exists above the lamps 3 it will reflect light to the light sensitive cell I2, which is coupled to the input of the amplifier 63 by resistance units R2 and R3 and capacity C2. The amplifier 63 energizes the relay 68 and causes this relay to close the circuit between thearmature 59 and the contact 68" when the cell I2 is energized by the proper radiant energy. The keying disc 4| and circuit interrupting disc 42, being rotated by the shaft 28, cause the transmitter 26 to transmit signals characteristic of low visibility conditions over the airport or air route, in accordance with a certain predetermined code.

It is, of course, obvious that the amplifier 26 being of any conventional design, may be adjusted so that the relay 68 will either close or open the circuit between armature 59 and contact 68" when the cell I2 is sufficiently illuminated or when light rays transmitted to this cell are interrupted.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, illustrate details of a modified form of the invention wherein the lightspot is formed at different altitudes by the two light beams moved synchronously upwardly and downwardly. The lightspot formed either through the action of fog, rain or snow reflects light downward and causes the photo-cell to relay the transmitting circuit into use. This is accomplished by imparting a reciprocating motion to each of the search light members 13, which correspond to the search lights 3 of Fig. 1.

The motor 18' rotates the gear 19, shaft 18 and crank disc 16. The crank disc with the cooperation of the pin 11 and the arm 15 imparts an oscillating motion to the arm 14 and the lamp lustrated in Figs. 6 and '1. Fixed to the shaft also is the driving member 88 having an arm to engage the pin 8|, of code signaling wheel 82, upon the periphery of which are placed the various dots and dashes, identifying the changing angles of the light beams. Secured to the code wheel 82 is shaft 83, which in turn supports the star wheel 84 in fixed relation thereto, and commutator 85 of insulating material. The star wheel 84 engages a roller 86 at the free end of a latching arm which is pressed down by a spring 81. The commutator disc 85 is provided with contacts 88, all of which are connected with the rin wire 89, which is electrically grounded to the shaft as at point 98. The brush 9| of the commutator 85 is insulated from the frame by insulation block 92. The frame 93 supports the solenoid 94, having an armature and roller 95', backwardly controlled by spring 96, and forwardly controlled by the solenoid when energized.

The embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figs. 6, '7, 8, 9, and 10 operates as follows: The motor 18 which causes the lamp 13 to oscillate up and down also rotates the commutator 85, the star wheel 84 and the code wheel 82, through the operation of the pin 8| and the arm of member 88. When the brush 9|, which is associated with the commutator 85, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 8, and 10, contacts with one of the segments 88 of the commutator 85 the c rcuit through the solenoid 94 is completed and the contactor 95' is caused to traverse the code wheel 82. This code wheel is connected through the shaft 83 and the solenoid contactor 95' to the keying circuit of the transmitter 26 (Fig. 5). In this way this circuit arrangement of Fig. 10 may be used in place of the code wheel 4| of Fig. 5 by connecting the leads 58 and 62 to the armature 95 and the shaft 83 (Fig. 10) respectively, instead of the brushes 58 and 5| of Fig. 5. I

The winding of the relay 68; which controls the circuit of the lead 62 to the transmitter 26, is connected to the output circuit of the amplifier 63. The input circuit of the amplifier 63 is connected to the photo-electric cell |2 in the same manner as shown in Fig. 5. The solenoid 1, which controls the shutter oi the photo-electric cell housing, is connected to the source of current supply 56 through the switch 1a. The same source 56 is employed to energize the solenoid 94 of the contacting mechanism 96, as illustrated.

The star Wheel 84 of Figs. 6 and 8 operates to make the angular movement of the code wheel 82 non-uniform. The roller 86 supported upon the periphery of the star wheel 84, is caused to bear down upon this latter wheel, by the spring 81.

In this way the star wheel is rotated uniformly as this roller is caused to mount the crests formed on the periphery of this wheel; and a slight and rapid forward movement is imported to this wheelfthrough the action of the spring 81 and the weight of the roller apparatus, as this roller sinks into the valleys of the star wheel.

In operation the motor also partly drives the code wheel by the arm and pin movement, by one-half tooth of the star wheel, at which point the spring, bearing on the arm carrying the roller, pushes the star wheel forward clear of the arm piece 88 and settles quietly until the arm is moved forward again to contact with the pin for another one-half tooth movement. Inv this way alternating rest steps are imparted to the star wheel 84, likewise to the commutator disc 85, at which time electrical contact is made with the brush 9|. and the solenoid is energized and pushes the roller 86, over the dot and dashes, thus automatically broadcasting the danger signal, as in the case of the fixed light beams.

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate another modified form of the invention in which a single lightspot effect 99 is brought about by employing two or more light beams from search lights 98. The angle of intersection may be regulated-to form the central lightspot at any height. 7

A pedestal 91 is employed for supporting two or more light reflecting members 98 on the top I98 thereof to project a plurality of light beams into a given direction or directions and. form the lightspot 99 at a predetermined height. Located in the center of the table top- I08, and extending downward is the channel I0.I, the bottom of which is enlarged and houses the photo-cell I02. The channel and photo-cell are placed directly in the center and in alignment with the'lightspot, the light waves of which'are free to pass on through the channel to the photo-cell.

The electrical connections employed in the embodiment of this invention shown in Figs. 11 and 12 are the same as in'Fig. 5, employing the photo-cell and transmitter circuits together with the switch controls except that the contact 68" is positioned on theopposite side of the armature 59 of relay 60. I

A pair of search lights 98 are mounted on a platform I00 which'is pivoted on the upright member 8 standing on the prominence I84, such as, a mountain peak or precipice. Beams I86 are projected upwardly from the searchlights to the clouds and form the light-spot 99 from which light is reflected to the light sensitive element I02 which is positioned in the casing I8I.

A pointer I8 is attached to the member I00 and to cooperate with the scale II for the purpose of indicating the angle and elevation of the cloud bank with respect to some predetermined alti- 60 tude. The beams I06 may be tilted downward as indicated by the line I01 and may be used to indicate the presence of clouds I08; 1

The cloud indications determined by this arrangement are transmitted in the manner described to aircraft I09 .or to distant observation points as desired.

Another embodiment of this invention is shown in Figure 13, wherein the signaling apparatus employed for detecting the presence of fog, is positioned on a mountain peak or precipice. Signals are broadcast from the apparatus thus located, to be intercepted by aircraft pilots navigating in regions surrounding the mountams.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferred embodiments in detail it is, of

course, understood that 1 do not desire to limit it to those exact details except in so far as they may be defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Signaling apparatus comprising lamps pivotally mounted for movement in a vertical plane whereby light beams may be projected upwardly to intersect at different altitudes and form a light spot upon the lower surface of a cloud bank at different altitudes, a light sensitive cell positioned beneath said light spot for energization by light transmitted from said light spot, signaling apparatus connected to be controlled through the operation of said light sensitive cell and means for automatically broadcasting a different signal for each cloud bank altitude from said signaling apparatus when said cell is energized.

2. Signaling apparatus comprising lamps pivotally mounted for movement in a vertical plane whereby light beams may be projected upwardly to intersect at predetermined altitudes and form a light spot upon a cloud bank or similar obstruc-.

tion, a light sensitive cell mounted between said lamps beneath said light spot for energization by light transmitted from said spot, means for transmitting an indication determined by the altitude of said light spot to a remote point and means having a circuit connected to said light sensitive cell for controlling the energization of said first mentioned means in accordance with the energization of said light sensitive cell.

3. Signaling apparatus comprising means for projecting light beams upwardly at an incline to form a light spot upon a cloud bank at predetermined altitudes, means for synchronously, moving said light beams in an upward and downward path, a light sensitive cell positioned to receive light from said light spot formed on said cloud bank, signal transmitting apparatus for transmitting signals by radiant energy, means controlled by said light sensitive cell for controlling the operation of said signal transmitter in accordance with the energization of said light sensitive cell; said signal transmitting apparatus including means for transmitting difierent code signals for different cloud altitudes.

4. Signaling apparatus comprising a searchlight pivotally mounted to project a beam of light at different angles upward to a cloud bank, a code wheel mounted adjacent to said search-light. a

'contacting member associated with said code wheel for contacting different code characters on said wheel as said wheel is moved through predetermined angles, means for oscillating said search-light and said code wheel through predetermined angles substantially simultaneously, a light sensitive element positioned to receive light reflected from said cloud bank, means for transmitting a radio signal in accordance with the energization of said light sensitive element and means for modulating said radio signal in accordance with the code characters contacted on said code wheel when said radio transmitter is energized.

5. Signaling apparatus including projecting means positioned to project a light beam upward to form a light spot upon a cloud bank, a light sensitive cell positioned to be energized by light reflected from the light spot formed on the cloud bank, signal transmitting apparatus and means connected to said light sensitive cell and said transmitting apparatus for controlling the operation of said signal transmitting apparatus in accordance with the energization or deenergization of said light sensitive cell.

6. Signaling apparatus comprising means for projecting light beams upwardly to interact and form a light spot upon a cloud bank at predetermined altitudes, means for determining the 5 height of said light spot cooperating with said means, a light sensitive cell mounted to receive: light transmitted from said light spot, a signal controlling said relay and transmitter in accord-' ance with the energization of said cell and means connected to said first mentioned means and said signal transmitter for causing said transmitter to transmit different signals for different light spot altitudes.

'7. In aeronautical signaling apparatus the combination of an oscillating light beam emitting device, means for directing the light beam in predetermined directions for forming a light spot on cloud banks existing at different positions, means for translating light energy received from said light spot into electrical energy, radio signaling apparatus, means connected to said light energy translating means for controlling the operation of said radio signaling apparatus and for effecting the transmission of different signals from said radio signaling apparatus for different cloud bank positions.

8. In aeronautical signaling apparatus the combination of a pair of oscillating light beam emitting devices, means for oscillating said devices in synchronism and for directing the light beams in predetermined directions for forming a light spot on cloud banks at different positions, means for translating light energy received from said light spot into electrical energy, radio signaling apparatus, means connected to said light energy translating means for controlling the operation of said radio signaling apparatus and for effecting the transmission of different signals from said radio signaling apparatus for different cloud bank altitudes.

9. Signaling apparatus including means for projecting light beams upwardly at an incline to form a light spot upon a cloud bank, a light sensitive cell, means cooperating with said first mentioned means for synchronously moving said light beams to form said light spot on cloud banks at 0 different altitudes, means cooperating with said light sensitive cell, said first and said second means for selecting a signal characterized by the altitude of the cloud bank on which said light spot is formed and for transmitting said signal 55 to a remote point.

10. Signaling apparatus comprising means for projecting a light beam upward at different angles to form a light spot upon a cloud bank or similar light obstructing media at different heights, light responsive meansfor translating light energy into electrical energy, signal transmitting means, connections between said light responsive means and said signal transmitting means, keying means connected to said signal transmitting means,\said keying means being controlled by said flrst means for effecting the transmission of different characters depending upon the angle of said light beam projecting means whensaid light responsive means is energized.

11. In signaling apparatus the combination of a radio transmitting system, a light sensitive cell, means for connecting said cell to the input circuit of said radio transmitting system, a light source pivotally mounted to-project a sweeping beam of light in search of bodies of light obstructing material, said light sensitive cell being positioned to receive light from said light obstructing material only during a certain predetermined portion of said sweeping movement of said beam, means cooperating with said light source for determining the position of said light obstructing material when said cell is energized and means connected to said radio transmitting system for transmitting a predetermined signal for each determined position.

12. Signaling apparatus comprising a pair of searchlights pivotally mounted to project beams of light upward to a cloud bank, means for moving said searchlights with respect to their pivots until the beams of said searchlights intersect and form a light spot on 'a cloud bank, a light sensitive element for translating light energy into electrical energy positioned to receive light reflected from said light spot, a radio transmitter connected to be controlled in accordance with the energization of said light sensitive element and means connected to said transmitter for effecting the transmission of different characteristics from said radio transmitter for different cloud bank light spot altitudes.

13. Signaling apparatus comprising means for projecting a beam of light to a cloud bank, a light sensitive cell positioned to be energized by light reflected from said cloud bank, means cooperating with said first means and said cell for determining the height of said cloud bank when said cell is energized and means for transmitting a signal characterized by said height to a remote point.

JOHN P. BUCKLEY. 

